El Salvador

By Sarah McKay

Hotels and Costs

Welcome to the fabulous Hilton Princess, a four-star hotel located in the heart of San Salvador. Costing only $127 a night, and enjoy the luxury of being centered only around twenty miles from some of El Salvadors most amazing sites. Sit back and relax in a three-story spa building, clear, crystal swimming pool, and multiple tennis courts. Dine in the gorgeous Garden Court restaurant, enjoy delicious food and amazing views of the surrounding city. Crystal chandeliers, tall, luscious vases of flowers, and immediate waiter service, this is the definition of paradise.

Enjoy rooms of comfort and beauty, and see amazing views of San Salvador and the mountains behind it. The hotel offers laundry service and twenty-four hour room service. All rooms have high-speed internet access, air conditioning, and Cable TV. Pets are accepted, you have free parking, a fitness center, and a business center.

Traveling Areas
Welcome to Lake Coatepeque! It is so crystal-clear and so cool and refreshing you wont be able to resist a little swim. A restaurant sits right in the center of the lake and is easily accessible. You can take a bus into Santa Ana and travel to the Lake from there. Images from this unique trip will stay in your mind forever.

This is the Los Tercios waterfall, located in Suchitoto, El Salvador. Enjoy the comforting sounds of rushing water and gaze up at the shining canopy of leaves above. Go hiking through trails of luscious greenery and have a picnic at the top. The most perfect day trip.

Culture and Daily life

In El Salvador, when you are introduced to someone, you should shake their hands. In El Salvador, having a title is important, and people with titles generally get more respect. Yawns and coughs are considered unsanitary and embarrassing. Visitors are expected to be friendly and Salvadorians like compliments about houses, children, or gardens. Gifts are to be expected. Swimming, basketball, baseball and soccer are well-liked activities.

Food
Manners at the table: it is polite for people to leave a bit of food on their plates when they are done eating, and to try a little of everything. Guests are expected to compliment the host to show they feel welcome. A typical lunch is pupusa, black beans, refried beans, thick tortillas, rice, eggs, and fruit. To make a typical chicken in El Salvador, chefs use salt, lemon juice, oregano, and achiote paste to add spice. They also use vinegar, five garlic cloves, two crushed onions, five ripe tomatoes, and chicken. Food in El Salvador is generally very fresh and has a lot of added spices and sauces.

History
Mayans lived in El Salvador between AD 100 and 1000, leaving ruins of limestone buildings that still stand today. During the 900s, the Pipil civilization, who spoke the Naha language moved into Mexico, and then seized control of El Salvador. They built cities, raised crops, and weaved tapestries into amazing designs. In 1524, Spanish Soldiers led by Pedro de Alvarado marched into El Salvador. The soldiers defeated the Pipil and took control of El Salvador, naming it a Spanish Colony for about 300 years. In 1821, El Salvador gained their independence and became a nation in Central America.

Government
The Government of El Salvador is a Democratic Republic which is well-protected by an army, a navy, and an air force. They have a Legislative branch with an Assembly of 84 people, who are elected by the popular vote and serve for three years. The President serves for four years, and is also elected by the popular vote. Their Economy used to only depend on agriculture, but now has a more diverse economy which consists of not only agriculture, but manufacturing and service industries. Their exports include sugar, coffee, medicine and textiles. Their Capital is San Salvador. Very few people in El Salvador own cars, most rely on public transportation.

SOURCES:
-Google images -worldbookonline.com/student -country reports